PERCUTANEOUS ETHANOL INJECTION FOR BENIGN CYSTIC AND MIXED THYROID NODULES

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Thyroid nodules are common, with cystic and mixed types often posing management challenges.
• Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is a minimally invasive technique explored for treating various cystic lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in reducing the volume of cystic and mixed thyroid nodules.
• To assess the impact of PEI on thyroid function tests (TFTs), antibody titers, and cytologic changes over one year.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-three patients with 55 cystic or mixed thyroid nodules underwent PEI.
• Nodule volumes, TFTs, and thyroid autoantibodies were monitored at baseline, 6, and 12 months.
• Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed at 12 months; nodules were categorized by structure.

Main Results:

• PEI achieved significant volume reduction (80.7% at 6 months, 82.1% at 12 months) with no serious complications.
• Purely cystic nodules showed greater volume reduction than predominantly cystic or solid nodules.
• Patients maintained euthyroid status, and antithyroglobulin levels decreased; no malignant cytologic findings were observed.

Conclusions:

• PEI is a safe and effective treatment for benign cystic and mixed thyroid nodules.
• Short-term follow-up suggests PEI does not induce autoimmunity or malignancy.